Sorting apparatus



Patented Jan. 4, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEApplicati:nc.L1-uricsl9,(1ci;41:233:30. 341,351

The present invention relates to a sorting apparatus for separatingcertain cards from a larger group of cards and more particularly to asorting device including a plurality of needle members for simplifyingthe use or manipulation of a card sorting system.

Card sorting systems in which the cards are provided with a series ofholes and with marginal notches according to a predetermined code arealready known. A selected card or series of cards may be removed from alarger group or pack of cards by a succession of needling operations toeliminate those cards which'are not desired.

The primary object of the invention is the provision 01 a vibrator forvibrating the pack of cards and facilitating the removal of the cardsnotched according to the arrangement of the needle members.

Other and further objects of the invention will be suggested to thoseskilled in the art by the description which follows.

The above and other objects 01 the invention are embodied in a sortingdevice for use with a group of cards provided with a series of holeswhich may require two or more needling operations'.

In the card sorting system shown, the cards ID are provided with aseries of holes I I along the margins thereof. Code indicia is placed oneach card and as'shown in Fig. 1 such indicia comprises the characters0, l, 2, 4, 7 and SF arranged in series corresponding to units, tens andhundreds. By means of a punch the margins of the card l0 opposite thehole ll may be removed so that by a series of needling operations anycard or cards from 0 to 999 may be removed from the pack or group ofcards.

v For instance, the card Ina has been provided with marginal notches l2opposite the unit holes 1 and'2, the tens holes 2 and 4 and the hundredsholes 1 and SF. Accordingly, this card will be I63. In a similar mannerthe card lob ha been provided with marginal notches l2 opposite the unitholes 1 and 4, the tens holes 4 and SF and the hundreds holes 7 and SFso that this card is 745.

along the margins thereof and which may be.

gagement with threaded holes in the body member.

Reference is hereby made to the accompanyingv drawing wherein similarreference characters designate similar elements and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sorting device according to theinvention and being inserted into a group of cards for separation of adesiredltype of card. I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a vibrator and a vertical section throughthe sorting device which has a modified form of needle member.

Although the sorting device 01' the invention is to be described withrelation to its use in a definite type of card sorting system, it mustbe understood that the sorting device may also be used with other typesof card sorting systems In order to obtain any particular unit, ten orhundred it is necessary to needle two holes in the corresponding seriesor holes. For instance, number, 1 is obtained by notching the marginopposite hole- 1 but number 3 is obtained by marginal notches oppositeholes 1 and 2, number 5 by notching opposite holes 1 and 4, while number8 is obtained by notching opposite holes 1 and '7. Thus, if only 1 isnotched all of the 1's, 3s, 5s,

and 8's would also be separated by the needling of hole 1. In the samemanner needling of a notched 4 hole will permit separation of all of the4's, 5s, and 6s because 5 is composed of the combination 4 and 1 and 6of the combination 4 and 2. Likewise, needling of the 7 hole willseparate the 7's, 8's and 9s because 8 is composed of the combination '7and 1 and 9 of the combination of 7 and 2.

Since all the numbers in a series are obtained by combinations ofnotches necessarily. requiring two needlings, there will be a furtherseparation of the cards by the second needling inthe series so that onlyone card number will be obtained. When only card 1, 2, 4 or '7 isdesired, a marginal notch is made opposite the corresponding hole andthe SF hole so that the second needling will separate such single figurecard from those cards notched for a combination of that figure withanother figure. For instance, the 1 cards will be notched opposite thehole 1 and the hole SF but upon needling 0f the hole lwill not beseparated from the 3's which are obtained by needling of holes 1 and 2or from the 5s' obtained by needling 1 and 4, or from the 8's which areobtained by needling of 1 and 7. However, the 1 cards will be separatedfrom the 3s, 5s and 8's by the second needling through the SF hole. Said3s, 5s and 85 can be separated from each other by a second needlinthrough the other hole of the combination or respectively through the 2,4 or 7 holes. Of course, all that has been said with respect to thenotching of the unit cards also applies to the notching of cardsincluding tens and hundreds. In fact, this type of sorting system iswell known and has been commercially used for a good man years but isexplained herein so that the features and advantages of the presentinvention can be readily understood.

The sorting device comprises a body member I3 and a plurality of needlemembers I4. Conceivably, the sorting device always used for sorting aspecific number could have the body member I3 and needles I4 madeintegrally or permanently fastened together. Preferably, however, amounting means is provided for variation of the arrangement of theneedle members H or for detachable connection of the needle members H!to the body member I3 in any selected arrangement. Two forms of such amounting means are disclosed herein, one form of mounting meanscomprising frictional engagement of the ends of the needle members I4with holes in the body member I3 and the other form of mounting meanscomprising threaded portions on the needle members I4 for engagingthreaded holes in the body member I3.

For provision of the first form of mounting means, the body member I3 isprovided with a series of holes I5 corresponding in spacing to thespacing of the holes II in the cards Ill. The needle members l4 havetapered or pointed ends l4 and have their other ends provided with aslot I6.

In order to remove a desired o selected card or cards from the largergroup of cards, it is now only necessary to insert a plurality of needlemembers I l into the body member I3 in an arrangement corresponding tothe marginal notching of the card or cards desired. The arrangement orinsertion of the needle members i4 is facilitated by the provision ofindicia on the body member I3 adjacent the holes I5 thereon andcorresponding to the indicia on the, cards I0. For instance, one edge I3of the body member I3 may be beveled and engraved or otherwise markedwith units, tens and hundreds divisions. Designations corresponding tothe designations on the cards are also engraved or otherwise marked onat least one surface of the body member l3 adjacent the holes l5therein. This provision of the indicia on the body member assists insetting up the arrangement of the needle members I4 or in checking thearrangement of needles during the needling operation. Preferably, suchindicia are placed on the back and top surfaces of the body member I3.

For example, if card or cards I63 are desired, needle members I4 will beinserted in the hundreds holes 1 and SF, in the tens holes 2 and 4 andin the units holes 1 and 2. All of such needle members I 4, as shown inFig. 1, can now be inserted through the holes and notches in the cardsI0 and only the cards provided with marginal notches I2 corresponding tothe arrangement of the needle members I4, such as card Illa, can beseparated from the group of cards. This separation of the cards isaccomplished by one needling horizontal position by the needles throughthe units and tens 2 and hundreds l.

The best method of operating the sorting device of the invention is tosuspend the entire group of cards on the needle members I4. In order tofacilitate this suspension of the cards ID, a support member 28 isfastened to the body member I3. Such a support member 28 should beprovided so as not to interfere with insertion or removal of the needlemembers I4 and so as not to cover any of the indicia thereon.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art and well known to thosewho have used card sorting systems that there is considerable friction,sticking, static, etc. between adjacent cards so that it is sometimesdifficult to cause the selected cards to drop out of the group. Toovercome this difficulty the sorting device according to the inventionis mounted upon or attached to a vibrating means. Such a vibrating meansmay comprise a standard type of vibrator 24 mounted upon a bracket 25 ona wall 26 and having a square vibrating shaft 21 extending therefrom.The support member 28 is fastened to Square shaft 21 by a clamp screw 28and has a threaded portion 30 for engaging a threaded socket 20 on thelower face of the body member I3. Thus, when the cards III are suspendedfrom and vibrated by the needle members I4, the cards Illa will fallfrom the group more readily and the operator is sure that all of thecards notched in the same manner as the needle member v are arrangedhave been removed.

A modified form of mounting means comprises threaded holes 3| in bodymember I3 in alignment with the holes I5 which are spaced according tothe holes II in the cards Ill. The needle members I4 as before havetapered or pointed ends l4 but are provided at their other ends withknurled enlargements 32 and have adjacent threaded portions 33 forengaging the threaded holes 3| in the body member I3. Thi form ofmounting means is particularly adapted for use on a sorting device to bemounted on the vibrator 24 and can be readily removed or inserted into Ithe body member I 3 by grasping and turning the knurled enlargements 32.On the other hand, the frictional type of mounting means permits morerapid removal and insertion of the needle members and is less expensiveto manufacture.

The-present invention is subject to many variations, particularly in thearrangement of the mounting means to permit variation of the location ofthe needle members I4 with respect to the body member I3 or detachableconnection therebetween. Accordingly, the present disclosure is to beconstrued in an illustrative sense, the scope of the invention beingdefined by the claims which follow.

Having now particularly described my invention what I desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States and what I claim is:

1. A sorting apparatu comprising a sorting device for use with a groupof cards which may be series of holes along the margins thereofandwhichmay be separated according to the arrangement of marginal notches insaid cards and including a body member and a plurality of needlesextending from said body member for insertion into the holes and notches'in said cards, and a vibrating means including a support member forsupporting said sorting device and needles thereof so that said group ofcards can be suspended on.

said needles and including a. vibrator connected to said support memberwhereby vibration of said group of cards causes only those cards whichare notched to correspond to the arrangement of said needles to fall outof said group.

3. \A sorting apparatus comprising a sorting device for use with a groupof cards which may' be separated according to the arrangement of holesand notches therein and including a body member and a, plurality ofneedles extending therefrom for insertion into said holes and notches, asupport member supporting said body member of said sorting device, and avibrator connected to said support member for vibrating said supportmember, said sorting device and any cards associated with the latter.

4. A sorting apparatus comprising a sorting device including a bodymember provided with a plurality of threaded opening arranged inparallel relationship transversely thereof and a plurality of needlesthreaded into certain of said openings and extending from said bodymember, a support member attached to said body member at substantially arightangle to said openings, and a vibrator connected to said supportmember for vibrating said support member, said sorting device and anyneedles attached to the latter.

MAYNARD L. SANDELL.

